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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

My Share in the Conversation...Holidays at Pemberley

Following is my last review for Tales of Less Pride and Prejudice. I hope you have enjoyed reading about these books by Alexa Adams, plus the provoking excerpts from her WIP,

The Madness of Mr. Darcy. Thanks to each of you for stopping by and leaving a comment. Remember to leave a comment at each review to triple your chances of winning.

Holidays at Pemberleyby Alexa Adams

Holidays at
Pemberley is the third book and conclusion of the Tales of Less Pride &
Prejudice Series. Alexa Adams has stayed consistent throughout these books with
her clever wit and lovely Regency language. As I mentioned in my reviews of the
first two books, her style and tone of writing is so near Jane Austen that it
is a pleasure to read the stories.

This novel
opens with a brief account of an incident that took place when Charlotte Lucas
was a small child. Charlotte was able to help a young boy that had just
experienced a traumatic incident. This was a touching and significant scene. It
was nice to learn something about the early Lucas family and their goodness.

Fast forward
to Christmas right before Darcy and Lizzy marry. Netherfield Hall is the scene
for a ball to honor Charles Bingley’s future wife, Jane. The newly married
Wickham’s are making their intrusion as if the ball was for them. Typical
behavior for them now and later, but I did so enjoy when Caroline paled at the
discovery that her husband had misrepresented some very significant facts. That
was a priceless moment.

Charlotte
Lucas has the main storyline and it is nice to see her find happiness and yes,
even love. During her visits to Pemberley, she has the opportunity to witness true love between her dear friend and Mr. Darcy. Charlotte's path to love is not easy and her feelings are exposed. Her discovery that she too, can marry
for love, is very nicely done. Her gradual change and her eventual
courtship are gratifying to read. I like this Charlotte and enjoyed her story very
much.

There were
many amusing scenes between Mrs. Bennet and Lady Catherine, who is still quite likable.
Each lady claims success for the Collins’s birth of a male child. Next is their
constant bickering over his proper rearing. This squabbling was quite comical.

I was displeased
with Mr. Bennet when he invited the Wickham’s to Pemberley for Twelfth Night without
informing Elizabeth and Darcy. That did not set well and seemed unlike him. I
guess the saying, ‘All’s well that ends well,’ fits here. The outcome proved
beneficial to Lady Catherine and I did enjoy how she handled the situation. Happily,
Caroline and George will never be the same!

Even though
the main plot is about Charlotte Lucas, the book covers several holidays and
balls at the beginning of the Darcy’s marriage, allowing the reader to spend time
with them. The narrative also gives some additional details from plots in the
first two books, details that give more meat to those stories. With all the
same characters from the first two books, Holidays
at Pemberley could stand alone but would possibly raise a few questions. I recommend
reading First Impressions and Second Glances beforehand. They are excellent
books that are not to be missed! Thank you Alexa Adams.

4.5 out of 5
stars

Following is a short comment from the author and then an excerpt from her upcoming book:

I’m very
pleased to share a few excerpts from my next novel, The Madness of Mr. Darcy. This is still a work in progress and
subject to change. I hope to have it published by early 2015.

Here is a
conversation between the housekeeper at Ramsey House, the private mental asylum
in which Mr. Darcy is confined, and her son, one of the orderlies.

Samuel
Johnson shut the door, through which no sound penetrated, behind him. Following
the corridor that lead under the grand staircase, he opened a hidden door that
led below stairs. Quickly arriving at his mother’s office, he rapped three
times on the door and was admitted.

Mrs. Johnson
shut the door behind her son. “Well?” she asked.

“If they
require anything, they can fetch it themselves,” he replied, taking the seat
before her desk.

“Humph!” She
moved stiffly across the room to her own chair. “I never knew the respectable
woman who sat up all hours of the night, alone with a man behind closed doors!”

Her son paid
this little head, as it was an oft-repeated complaint. There was more to say
this evening. “They were sitting might cozy on the sofa when I came in.” He
stoked the fire.

“Were they
indeed?” she asked excitedly. “She is a bold one!”

He leaned
forward placing his elbows on the desk. His mother mimicked the gesture. “Twas
nothing compared with the look she gave the new man this morning.”

“Mr. Darcy?”

“Do they,
now?” Her face was all astonishment, and he grinned at his mother. “Do you
think he has her story?”

“Wouldn’t
surprise me. No one casts a glance like Mrs. Bennet did today on a person not
in their confidence. And Mr. Darcy was struck dumb at the sight of her, too:
every bit the lost lover finding his way home.”

Mrs. Johnson
sat back, digesting this information. Her son watched her with amusement,
awaiting her next words. “Sammy,” she began after several moments, “you don’t
suppose Mr. Darcy might have been involved in her downfall?” She did not wait
for a reply, but stood up and began pacing the small room. “We know she was
gently born. No doubt about that. And we know her family suffered a reversal in
fortune. But all those other sisters – not one of them holds a post such as she
does!”

“One is a
governess,” he pointed out.

“Yes, but
there’s a vast difference between working in a proper house and here, let alone
where she was before.”

“At least at
Summers Wood the ladies and gents kept to themselves,” he supplied. “And they
took paupers!”

Mrs. Johnson
stopped pacing and stared at her son. “If something improper were to happen
between Mrs. Bennet and a guest, she’d be packed off as soon as the master
could contrive it.”

“I don’t
think Dr. Wilson would toss her off, though she would definitely lose her post.
He might marry her!”

Mrs. Johnson
had resumed her pacing and only heard part of this. “Mr. Darcy is a lunatic. He
admits almost proudly how he near tortured to death some poor soul! No woman
would ever accept his proposal, if he is so far gone as to make on to the
Matron!” she chortled.

Her knees
locked, and she was lucky to be in reach of her chair, or she might have
crashed to the floor. Steadying herself by clutching the desk, she said in a
cracking voice, “Master Frederick would never be so foolish.” Nevertheless, it
took her nearly two glasses of sherry to recover from the shock of her son’s
suggestion, and she only ever took a nip on festive occasions.

Thank you again, Alexa Adams for sharing these excerpts from your latest work. It has been a pleasure to read them. Please keep us updated on this exciting story. As you can see, you have generated much interest.Alexa Adams is generously giving away one of the three books being reviewed, to two lucky people. A domestic winner will have the choice of a paperback or eBook. An international winner will receive an eBook. To be entered leave a comment below as I always love reading your 'share in the conversation'!As a reminder, if you leave a comment at each review, you triple your chances of winning! Good luck to all. Be sure to include your email address in the comment. To prevent unwanted spam, put your email address with (at) instead of @. Winner will be chosen in a random drawing. Giveaway will end at midnight, April 2, 2014.

Great review. This is the only one I have yet to read. Plenty of room on my Kindle. The excerpt for this day was confusing to me. I'll have to wait to read the whole, I am thinking. jjjking(at)juno.com